The Wilt County Health Department opened on Friday, which was billed as a 60th micro pantry, an outdoor pantry where people with food needs can find something at any time in the day or night.
The Pantry was opened outside the entrance of the Salvation Army Community Center in Jolit, already a weekly drive-up pantry is on Monday and takes appointments for those who need to take food during the week.
The micro pantry fills another gap, Scott Hurula, the Core Administrator of the Salvation Army Center, stated at a function to celebrate the inauguration of the pantry.
“With the new pantry, it’s 24/7,” he said.
This is the reason that micro pantry was made, Robert Datton, Health Equity Manager in the Wil County Health Department, said.
“When the food pantry is not open, we want to ensure that the food is 24/7 available, all the time to the people in the undested communities,” Datton said.
Datton said that the mini pantry has been for almost 10 years.
But the demand increased and increased during the COVID -19 epidemic.
It seems that Wil County will not have a lot of time before hitting number 70 in its mini pantry network.
“We are probably between receiving another 10 food pantry in Will County,” Datton said at the ceremony.
He said that he received three calls from mini pantry partners alone on Friday.
The mini pantry is a modest setup: a window cabinet that has food and medical supply with several shelves, which requires them to take.
The Pantry was stocked with boxing grains, ramon noodles, crackers, canned green beans, boxing noodle-paneer food and some other items in the Salvation Army.
It also had a package of hell, which was used a nasal spray, which is used for emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
When the temperature is hot, the Kovid -19 test kit puts it in the pantry, Datton said. They cannot be stored outside in cold temperatures, he said.
Micro panties are located in different cities and have a classification of places.
In Jolit, they can also be found at Jolit Police Station, Easy Auto Sales and First Presbyterian Church. Around County, they can be found in the Plainfield -Congress Church, Manhattan Police Department, Friendships United Methodist Church in Bolingbroke and Fossil Ridge Public Library at Bradwood.
A map of places can be found on the website of Will County Health Department.
“We try to live in unqualified communities, especially in communities where there is a shortage of grocery stores,” said Datton.
Food is donated for pantry, most of them are coming from Sharefest Wil County and North Illinois Food Bank.
There are occasions where a person takes everything in the pantry, Datton said. But other people also bring food.
“People bring donations to pantry sites,” he said.
The host for micro pantry sees that it has been stocked, although the Health Department also sends people to monitor sites.
Datton said that easy access in which people can come and go on their time, some people may feel about going to food pantry.
He said, “No one should feel embarrassed at any time to go to the food pantry because we all need help in some time,” he said.
Salvation Army Community Center at 300 3 Avenue. Located in a lower -income area of the jolit. It is also in a part of the city where residents and public authorities have spoken about the need for a grocery store for years.
Hurula said that Monday’s food pantry event attracts around 170 people. The Salvation Army makes about 25 additional appointments a week for the Army Food Pantry visit.
“We never remove anyone who needs food,” Hurula said about the food pantry operation of the Salvation Army. “Without any stigma, without any decision, they are welcome to use it.”